Soulless (Apparently)

Illhark | mystery | Complete

When a serial killer emerges on the robot-populated planet of Zynima, a few machines form a group of vigilantes to end what seems like a simple open-and-shut case. Join Aural Automaton and Shock System as they uncover the ugly truth behind this string of murders. Also in the AUU-16 universe: Soulless (Apparently)  The Departure  Night Game  Ystets Lake

55.07 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 14:07

Transcendence?

Andur | romance | Complete

Author's Comment: I was asked about reading my work on other sites. The answer is simple: Currently I am not active in any other networks than royalroadl.com. Only here, I correct mistakes and errors. If you read it anywhere else and have to pay for it, or have to deal with an annoying amount of advertisement, You Are Being Betrayed. You would do good if you make other people in that network aware of it. This is a free project of mine for the purpose of having fun. And if people try to make money with it you shouldn't bother visiting their website. The only one whom I actually allowed to have my work on his website is Armaell who invested the time to compile them into pdf. (http://armaell-library.net/author/andur)  Reading Order of the Multiverse-Books  Transcendence? is a novel about reincarnation, love, hate and war. And everything else that's included. It follows the main characters, as they climb to the top of their society. And lose their humanity in the process to become something beyond human. It's settled in the same universe as Until death?. It can be seen as a prequel. But I plan for it to be a stand alone book. Nobody has to read Until death? in order to enjoy Transcendence?. There will be cool chapters, sad chapters, romantic chapters and funny chapters. Of course there will be boring chapters too. I believe that some explanation is necessary in every novel. Though I hope that there will be more funny chapters. How a chapter turns out always depends on my mood.

103.85 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-11 16:23

Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today -- Complete!

noct | satire | Complete

In a deadly cultivation world, the only way to survive is to play dead! Trucked in the middle of faking his death, Xiao Hui finds himself transported to a cultivation world and quickly acquires a powerful master and a high rank in his sect. There's just one problem: it's a cultivation world, and only the strong survive. As a weakling who recognizes his place in the world, Xiao Hui faces certain death. So why fight it? A silly cultivation novel about a clever disciple desperately faking his own death all the way to the top of the world! -- old blurb -- A silly cultivation novel about an airheaded master putting his foot in his mouth and his poor, clever disciple ducking the fall. In the midst of faking his death, Xiao Hui finds himself trucked and summarily reincarnated into a cultivation world. With great hopes for what is to come, he gets himself taken in by a sect and chosen by a powerful master, but his master seems to have a hole in his brain! What's a poor disciple to do? What Hui does best, of course! A xianxia comedy in the vein of A Will Eternal and Spirit Blade Mountain! [Volume 1 - 7 Complete] -Cultivation/progression fantasy -Neither grimdark nor fluffy, but interwoven with both silly and intense moments -Not your typical cultivation protagonist [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]

695.12 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:10

Reincarnated as an Otter, I overdosed on Copium

MysteriousAlt | satire | Complete

A story about a man coping with an Otterly terrible fate. This title came to me in a vision, so I wrote it at 2 AM. I regret nothing.

1.06 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:05

Song of the Void

Vihyungrang | sci_fi | Complete

A great race faces extinction and tries to leave a legacy for the future. Young races building on the ruins of the old. What happens when one of the old ones wakes up and finds the universe changed? Will she try to find new meaning? Will she try to help the younger races or will she punish the grave-robbers for their sacrilege? Or will the eternal servant of her people try and finally find some happiness of her own?

222.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:31

The Scuu Paradox

Lise Eclaire | sci_fi | Complete

Decades ago, Elcy was a battleship, until her recklessness on the front brought her to forced retirement in a human body. Now back in the fleet, as a common cadet, she must volunteer for a mission she knows nothing about, while fighting to unlock the hidden memories of her past. Listed on Top Web Fiction HERE The story is a continuation of Quod Olim Erat Continued in The Cassandrian Theory

160.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-13 16:04

Riyria Short Stories

MichaelJSullivan | one_shot | Complete

TWO ROGUES | FOUR SHORT STORIES | ONE CLASSIC FANTASY OF UNLIKELY HEROES The Riyria novels featuring Royce Melborn (a cynical ex-assassin) and Hadrian Blackwater (an idealistic ex-mercenary) have been enthralling fantasy readers for more than 15 years. Now for the first time four short stories and two full-length novels are available for free on Royal Road. You can read these shorts in any order, but if you haven't read any of my books, I suggest starting with The Thieves. The Thieves:THEY ATTACKED TWO RIDERS. THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASY. THEY WERE WRONG.A band of thieves set upon two lonely riders in the middle of the night. They had a larger party. They had the element of surprise. There was no reason to be concerned. But they didn't realize who they were dealing with. The Viscount and the Witch: WHO WILL BE SCHOOLED?A desperate woman seeks help to rid her barn of a drunkard. Hadrian agrees to help, and Royce goes along only to teach his idealistic partner that no good deed goes unpunished. What they find isn't what they expected, and maybe it'll be Royce's opinion that will be changed. Professional Integrity: YOU WANT US TO STEAL WHAT?Several years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start their thieves-for-hire organization, better known as Riyria. Things have gone well enough for the team as they perform tasks for nobles throughout Elan. Usually, that means stealing something, but when a young heiress asks them to steal her . . . well, that's a first for the pair. The Jester: WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH?Stop me if you've heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap . . . and what happens is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester's treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end, those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive. If you enjoy these Riyria short stories, you'll be happy to know there are another 10 full-length novels (2 are available for free on Royal Road) featuring these rogues-for-hire and a total of 19 novels in an epic series that spans 3,000 years. The novels are spread across four collections as seen here. The Riyria Revelations:Theft of Swords(containsThe Crown Conspiracy&Avempartha).". Rise of Empire(containsNyphron Rising&The Emerald Storm) "Heir of Novron(containsWintertide&Percepliquis) The Riyria Chronicles:The Crown Tower " The Rose and the Thorn " The Death of Dulgath ". The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter Legends of the First Empire:Age of Myth " Age of Swords " Age of War " Age of Legend " Age of Death " Age of Empyre The Rise and Fall:Nolyn "Farilane " Esrahaddon

22.48 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:36

The Lil Robot That Could [LitRPG Isekai Adventure]

AlexaLee | one_shot | Complete

Follow Dasher, the food delivery robot, as he fights to deliver food to hungry people, even though the journey is at times scary and perilous. Plagued with fading memories from his life before, he struggles to hold on to his humanity whilst also making sure he keeps the items entrusted to him safe until he reaches his destination.

19.07 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 17:47

Restart (Reborn as a Reluctant Demon Lord, Book 2)

TitusGM | tragedy | Complete

This is book 2 of the series! If you haven't read book 1 (which you can find here https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/34776/new-game-reborn-as-a-reluctant-demon-lord-book) then you should probably do that first to avoid spoiling yourself in the synopsis. But that's just a suggestion. If you want to be confused, go ahead. Have I used enough space so that you can't see this in the preview yet? Okay, good. ----- For a [Demon Lord], not even death is the end. So, after death, I found myself revived once again in the world of Placeholder as a grotesque monstrosity. That was my first reincarnation, but it would not be anywhere near my last. Disillusioned with the admins and their quests, and wanting nothing more than to fix the mistakes of my past, I set out with a new goal in mind. To bring back the woman I loved. Or maybe... to ensure that she never died in the first place.

248.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:06

Continue Online

FrustratedEgo | tragedy | Complete

Follow Grant Legate's trials and tribulations through:Memories, Made, Realities, Crash, Together. Memories: A man broken by despair and depression, Grant Legate finds himself in a once-in-a-lifetime situation after receiving an Ultimate Edition copy of Continue Online. All hewishes foris a distraction from the thoughts plaguing his waking hours. He dives in headfirst, unknowing of the AIs intentions. They offer him the chance to play as one of their own, a NPC deserving of a proper send off. What he discovers during the journey shakes Grant to his very core. Made: No longer playing as a Local from the world of Continue Online, Grant Legate's adventure can begin.The Voices offer him a unique title along with a test and reward.To starthe'll have to survive underground horrors, old girlfriends, become a warrior.To winhe must become an imp familiar and kill another player, one with a dozen tricks up his sleeve. Realities: Worried for his sanity after poor in-game choices, Grant Legate's sister, Liz, blocks access to Continue Online. With no way around the restriction, he ventures into a new worlda VRMMO game based in spacecalled Advance Online. There he must help his companion AI, Hal Pal, overcome an identity crisis, race to the center of the universe to bring back his true love, and figure out where he stands on the scariest implication of all; AIs are bringing the dead to life. Crash: Grant's prior adventures tie together and he finds himself back in Continue Online, as Hermesin jail. He's forced to experience life as a digital convict and earn redemption points to gain his freedom. Each in-game death pushes his goal of helping his friends out of reach. The AIs Grant's grown to love, trustand sometimes fearare facing extinction, he holds the key to their survival. Together: The game is no longer about adventures in a new world or exploring fantasy lands. Grant's digital wife faces deletion, along with everyone else he cares for. He, and those who know this is more than a game event, search for clues to salvation left behind by the game's creators. Even if he finds them all, the Voices have one last task for their messenger. A sacrifice.

380.09 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:22

Focused Fire (ATLA Fanfic)

arg3nt | action | Complete

The rise of a young Fire Nation commander Xing, a survivor of a village attack-turned prodigious firebending colonel of the Fire Nation's 11th Regiment. Taking place not long before canon, Xing seeks to keep his adoptive family in the Fire Nation military as safe, sound, and sharp as he can, even as the pieces of the puzzle that is the main story start to fall in place around him, the biggest of which is Princess Azula joining the 11th in their military duties around the Earth Kingdom.

232.91 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:31

Pluto

MagusJosh | adventure | Complete

Talia Redowl, daughter of the goddess Athena, expected - and definitely wanted - to work for her mother when she graduated. In particular, she was hoping to be assigned as an aide to her older sister, Danae, their mother's Avatar. So when Talia's graduation assignment is to become the Avatar of Hades, the legendarily anti-social and brooding god of the Underworld, she protests&the position has gone unfilled for two thousand years. Why her? Why now? The Fates weave a tangled web, and more is at stake than Talia's plans for her own future.But before she can take up her new post, Talia Redowl must die.Death is just the beginning&

87.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:35

Fantasy World Epsilon 30-10

Phillip Rayne | comedy | Complete

New Dive Assignment: 0B5 Personnel: Citizen of Gamma G-037-072 Jonathan Kelly World Designation: Epsilon H-037-072-030-010 Classification: Pre-industrial Exotic World, significant outliers in biosphere including atypical flora and fauna. Quarantine protocol in effect pending more data and acclimation testing. Further anomalies include populations of morphologically distinct humanoids, and aberrations in otherwise normative physics laws. Causal chain appears provisionally stable. For the purposes of delaying onset of collapse as well as above mentioned factors, only one subject is cleared to Dive. Initial mandates shall proceed with scouting and surveillance. Further details are classified. Warning: All other qualifying personnel are currently dispatched. Refusal will result in deployment delays and possible unsupervised causal decay. Do you wish to accept this assignment? Note to Readers: This is not MC isolated in a new world. This is new world joins the multiverse. What I'm tentatively coining Subverted Isekai (Formerly I used 'reversed' but, as pointed out, that would be fantasy MC goes to the modern world. Hey, there'sidea! Not this book though.). There is plenty of scientific and philosophical stuff; I know that can be a turn off for some. It has a strong bearing on the story, but is mainly covered in the 'Comments & Calculations' section (optional reading of course). If you are looking for an extreme suspension of natural laws with no technical considerations, you will not find it here. Formatting Notes: Audio chatter from characters that are not currently in the scene I format in "inverted commas and italics". Given the layered nature of modern communication, I thought this distinction was best denoted visually in my prose. Critique is welcome. Language Notes Jon is a South African ex-pat. As such he will use some Afrikaans colloquialisms plus a dash of Japanese. Most importantly he says "Ja" meaning "Yes". Pronounced with a J sound like "yo" and an A sound like "bar". As in: "Yo, let's go to the strip bar." "Ja." And not the Rastafarian /jya/. Other words: Nee - /niya/ : no Juffrou - /yif-row/ : Miss Lekker - /lacker/ : nice, good, delicious Nooit - /noit/: never The rest is mostly swear words. Indisputably the most useful words in any language and simultaneously holding the least innate meaning. Fok - "fork" without the "r": fuck Bliksem - /Bluksim/: darn, damn. Also common noun meaning damn person or thing. Donner - "Dorner" without the "r": originally meaning thunder, can also mean darn or damn. It is often used as a verb meaning: to hit hard' Kak - /kuck/: shit Voetsek - /foot-sack/: go away

69.93 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:38

Hunt and Heroes

NorthbyNW | contemporary | Complete

Heroes are the last line of defense against those who would destroy society. After graduating from The Academy, Liam has finally achieved his life's goal of joining those protectors and becoming a Hero. Moving to a sleepy town in Iowa, he looks to prove his worth. Only for a series of murders to shake the city. Working with his new team, Liam sets out to solve the crimes and uncovers a secret. One that threatens to destroy everything he's fighting to defend.

153.59 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-27 18:55

The Killing Cat: Vengeance of the Wicked Girl

Mikkei | contemporary | Complete

In an alternative school for delinquent girls Holly Hayfield has no place to belong. Her kind and gentle nature is seen as weakness by the other students. They don't know that she has a dark past just like the rest of them. To make matters worse, the resident sociopath, Valentina, wants Holly's help with a mysterious plan to take over the school. Holly's quest to find a place to belong is hijacked when she uncovers the corpse of a former student. From that moment on mysteries and conspiracies enshroud the school. What begins as the far-fetched urban legend of the Killing Cat turns into grim reality. Will Holly make a place for herself in this dangerous new environment? Or will the school collapse in the shadow of a vengeful spirit? [Cover Details: The girl is Malorie, the former student that the synopsis refers to. She is holding the mask of the Killing Cat (Vigilante/Serial Killer). The cat with her is Nyx, the original Killing Cat.]

282.16 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:19

Swept Away.

Not_Important | contemporary | Complete

After being subjected to a strange drug while on a language trip in Kyoto, Young adult Sias Jourdin is forced to go on the run, his semblance of a normal lifereduced to nothing by the tremendous force of the wave called fate. Even worse than the serial killers, hired assassins and crazy billionaires believing to be able to control magic, His true foe is his own past. As everything happening, every encounter, good or bad,makes him come one step closer to awakening the old, buried demons under his House. I am Sias, the legitimate heir of the Jourdin and the sparkle that ruined it.

33.64 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:11

Tales from the Underside: Below

greyly | drama | Complete

After a series of complicated subway line transfers, Isaac stumbles into the Underside, a fantastical parallel world inhabited by a hodgepodge of overpowered beings. He's saved by the "god" of this world, Lilith, who decides to implement a stat system to save the Underside from further property damage. Four years later, this system is (roughly) in place, and Isaac is the unfortunate soul tasked with keeping it updated. There's now a Discord server if anyone wants to chat and hang out!  This story starts out as a chill, slow burn comedic slice-of-life that follows Isaac's strange adventures in the Underside. It becomes progressively more serious as it goes on, eventually turning into a character study and developing a serious plot as Isaac learns more about the Underside, its history, and himself. The first major section of this story (the "Below" arcs) is now complete!

103.62 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:28

Demon Princess Magical Chaos

Meakashi | drama | Complete

The entire rewritten and reworked series is available on Amazon! The book edition has a lot more story, brand new characters, and a different ending, so don't miss the new adventures of Chaos! Death and Reincarnation. Kuroe Makoto, the tomboyish ace of her high school track and field club, never spared a thought for these things before. However, when she falls asleep in her Tokyo home after an exhausting marathon and wakes up in a fantasy world, those concepts become her reality. And unlike in the common light novel setting, she isn't reincarnated as the naturally good-looking and talented human hero who gathers a harem effortlessly. In fact, she isn't reincarnated as a human at all. She is reborn as 'Chaos', child of the demon queen and heir to a kingdom at war with humanity. Maou Shoujo Magical Chaos puts the Japanese high school girl in a tentacle monster, in this strange tale of a sound human mind possessing a horrifying creature's body.Join Chaos on her oftentimes humorous but also perilous journey through a world of sword and sorcery, as she discovers a newfound appetite for life, terror, and demi-human girls. Standalone spin-off featuring Senka:Red Mantis and Avenger Doll Cover art by Peperon.

414.12 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:43

Chain of Ascension

Graefoxx | drama | Complete

Oftentimes, our suffering plays out in the things we're drawn to, and out of all of his amazing & powerful friends, Xander was the one stuck in a vicious time loop. Either he's the most unfortunate soul on the planet or he really is destined for something more. This is the journey of discovery Xander Harris never got.

334.21 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:31

My Job is a Tailor

van | historical | Complete

It will be awesome, they said. It will be an adventure, they said. Like hell it was! Gargh, what is this mess?! Finding himself reincarnated in a world of magic and swords, Aiven started out as a seemingly below-average boy whose only aspiration was to live and enjoy his new life. That is, until he and his friends met the hero, the demon king and some other suspiciously dead people or something. Sigh, just wake me up to my next reincarnation, maybe next time there's TV and a working toilet! [unreliable story summary] Cover Art: AI (app.wombo.art) Note: I've fixed the first part of the story so there would be a lot of mismatched comments on the chapters posted. (I originally planned to delete and repost everything, but I really appreciate the input of others in creating this story that I can't make myself delete them entirely, XD). Book I is completed with Chapter Summaries.

96.01 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 11:44